Part 14

Someone came to Mahuy of Sur and said that the king of the world now lay wed to the dust. The bishop, the priest, and the monks of Rome, all mourned across that land and soil. Young and old went out wailing, and lifted the king's body from that pool of water. They built him a tomb in a garden, tall and grand, rising higher than a hillside. That wretched, cursed Mahuy said: Iran was never kin to Rome before this. He sent orders that everyone who built that tomb, and everyone who grieved over that work, should be killed, and he plundered the border. Such was the wish and worth of Mahuy. After that he looked around the world and saw no one left from the line of the great. The crown and the king's royal ring were with him, so the shepherd's son craved the throne. He called all his confidants before him and spoke out every thought that filled his heart. He said to his minister: O worldly man, the day of shame and battle has arrived. I have neither treasure nor name nor noble blood; I am about to throw my own head to the wind. Yezdgerd's name is on the signet ring; they will not submit to me by the sword. All the city of Iran was his servant, whether his own kin or scattered strangers. No wise man will call me king, and the army will not settle under my seal. I had another secret path; why did I ever spill the blood of the world's king? All night my heart bled with worry; God knows what I was and how I felt. His counselor said to him: Now it is over; the world is loud with news of this deed. Now you must look again to your own affairs, for you have snapped the thread of your own life. He is in the tomb now, gone to dust; his soul has been made poison and antidote both. Gather all the men who have seen the world, and sharpen your tongue with sweet words. Say this: the king himself gave me this crown and ring, so that I might rule as chief. When he knew the Turkish army was coming, as the night grew darker the king summoned me. He told me: when the wind of war rises, who in the world can say who will be victor? Keep this crown and ring safe; there may come a day of vengeance when your crown proves useful. I have nothing else in the world but this, and this must stay hidden from the Arabs. From now on do not surrender my throne to the enemy; by this same token, guard my path. I hold this crown as inheritance from the king; by his command I take my seat on the throne. With this trick, put a shine on my evil deed; who can tell whether this is truth or lie? When Mahuy heard this he said: Well done; you are my minister, and none stands above you. He called all the chiefs of the army together and spoke to them at length in this fashion. The army knew this was not true; his insolence deserved that his head be cut off. One champion said: this is your own concern, whether the story is true or false. When he heard this he sat on the royal throne; by trickery Khorasan fell into his hands. He parceled out the face of the earth among the great, saying: I am the one who holds the king's seal. He seized the whole world by handing it out; the stars looked on in astonishment, how strange! He gave Balkh and Herat to his eldest son, and sent an army to every quarter. He raised up all the ill-minded men, just as suited his own base nature. He set the wicked as commanders everywhere, and cast the wise down headlong. Once honesty was brought low, corruption showed itself on every side. When his army and his wealth grew large, this soulless man's heart was decked with pride. He handed money to the troops and enriched them, and swelled the head of his own clan with vanity. The commander went to Amuy as vanguard, with an army of fresh, battle-ready fighters. As scout at the head of the army marched a worldly-wise man named Gareston. They set their faces toward the city of Bukhara, with a war-hungry army thus prepared. He told him: with this seal and crown we must seize Samarkand and Chach. By the command of Yezdgerd, king of the world, who was the chief over these seven regions, I will demand vengeance from Bizhan with the sword, for through him the fortune of Iran went dark.